These Are the Least Visited Parts of This National Monument in Iowa

Effigy Mounds National Monument is the Hawkeye State's premier National Park Service unit. Despite (or thanks to) its remote location, the park averages about 61,000 visitors per year, placing it in the bottom 50 percent for annual visitation when compared to all other NPS units. These numbers always surprise me, because even nearby (less than 10 minutes by car) Pikes Peak State Park sees around 250,000 annual visitors. Nevertheless, the monument's relatively small size still means you're likely to encounter others when you visit. If, however, you're looking for a parts of this national monument in Iowa where you could have the park all to yourself, you're in in luck.

Established in 1949 by President Harry S. Truman, 2,500-acre Effigy Mounds National Monument protects more than 200 known mound sites, which means the monument currently preserves the largest concentration of such mounds in the U.S. The structures were built by Native cultures who inhabited this region long before Europeans set foot on the shores of the North American continent. In fact, some are more than 2,000 years old.

Most of the monument is rugged bluff country that is inaccessible by trail. However, you'll find the majority of the mounds along the front country trails across the park's three units. The visitor center—where you should stop regardless of the trail you hike—is located on the north unit. The monument's most popular trails, which leave from the visitor center, and sites are also found here, including the Great Bear and Little Bear mound groups, Fire Point, Hanging Rock, as well as many other mounds and mound groups. In all, 67 of the monument's mounds are on the north unit.

The monument's south unit is accessible from a separate trailhead located across the Yellow River, just over half a mile south of the visitor center. You're likely to encounter fewer people in this part of the monument, which requires a longer hike up the steep Mississippi River bluffs to reach its mound groups. It's worth it, however. Although only 29 mounds are located on the south unit, a majority of them are effigy—as opposed to conical or linear—mounds. In fact, the impressive Marching Bear Group, alone, consists of 10 bear mounds, three bird mounds, and two linear mounds. The unit's other Compound Mound Group also boasts a bird mound, along with seven connected conical mounds. Other conical, linear, and bear mounds are scattered throughout the unit. The hike to reach either of these mound groups is more than 4 miles out and back, and you can expect more than 540 feet of elevation gain.

If you really want to ditch the crowds, though, the monument contains a bit of a hidden gem that's even more off the beaten path. In fact, it's not even included in the park brochure's map. Effigy Mounds' small, Sny Magill unit is located along the Mississippi River floodplain about 12 miles south of the visitor center. A short, out-and-back trail takes visitors from the parking area, along the available high ground, and into the unit, whose 138 acres is home to more than half—in excess of 100—of the monument's mounds. Most of the mounds are conical, but you'll find a handful of linear, bear, and bird mounds, as well. What you're unlikely to find if you visit Sny Magill is other people—or any elevation gain. One caveat, however, is that the access road and trail are often flooded by the river and closed. This has also led to serious concern about preserving this important historic site; the Army Corps of Engineers is studying ways to protect the Sny Magill Unit from further erosion.

No matter which unit you visit, a trip to Effigy Mounds National Monument is well worth your while. Stay in the nearby town of McGregor, and spend some time exploring this beautiful, more-remote part of the Hawkeye State. What are your favorite places to escape the crowds in Iowa? We'd love to hear about them.